SECURITY
21 Taliban Killed in Helmand Clash, Airstrike
Helmand: At least 21 Taliban militants have been killed and ten others wounded in the Nad Ali district of southern Helmand province, the governor’s house said on Saturday. A statement from the governor’s house said more than a dozen insurgents attacked security check-posts in Matk-i-Dakht locality late on Friday night. Pajhwok
12 Taliban Militants Killed in Zabul Incidents
Zabul: A key Taliban commander along with 11 others has been killed in separate incidents in different provinces of the country, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Saturday. A statement from the MoI said that nine Taliban militants including a key commander were killed during a clash in Arghandab district of southern Zabul province. On the other hand, three Taliban militants were killed in a clash in Pashton Zarghoon district of western Herat province. Pajhwok
15 Taliban, 2 ANA Soldiers Killed in Farah Clash
Farah: At least 15 Taliban militants and two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed during an overnight clash in Bala Buluk district of western Farah province, an official said on Saturday. The district’s administrative chief, Sayed Mohammad, told dozens of Taliban gunmen attacked Kanj Abad locality and ANA check-posts on Friday night. Pajhwok
5 Daesh, as many LI Fighters Killed in Nangarhar
Nangarhar: At least ten insurgents, both local and foreign, have been killed and two other wounded separately in an airstrike and a clash in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Saturday. The Nangarhar police spokesman, Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal, told that foreign troops targeted militants’ positions in Bandar area of Achin district on Friday night. He said the drone attack resulted in the killing of two Daesh fighters, including Qazi Shahid, and five members of the Lakhkar-i-Islam (LI) insurgent group. Pajhwok
POLITICAL
MoD Plans recruiting more Women into Army
Kabul: New initiatives are on the cards to recruit more women into the Afghan National Army (ANA), a Ministry of Defence (MoD) official said. The ministry plans to raise the proportion of women in the army from the current four percent to 10 percent and offer them inducements, including a special salary scale. Pajhwok
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
UN, Russia officials talk Afghanistan situation
Kabul: Top UN envoy in Kabul Tadamichi Yamamoto and Russian deputy foreign minister Igor Morgulov discussed the security situation in Afghanistan, a media report said on Saturday. President Putin’s special representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov was also present at the meeting that conferred on the Afghan peace process and regional situation. Tadamichi sought Russian support in resolving the regional issues and assisting the Afghan authorities in bringing peace and stability to the war-torn country. Pajhwok
UN Reaffirms Commitment to Afghanistan, its People
Kabul: The UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs Miroslav Jenca has called on President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah and stressed the need for peace talks to resolve a decade long Afghan conflict. Pajhwok
